


— n. h.

by okrivqr, yokohbadboy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Daddy Issues, Domestic Fluff, Falling In Love, Family Fluff, Fluff, High School, Japanese Character(s), Japanese Culture, Light Angst, M/M, Mommy Issues, Older Characters, Opposites Attract, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Secret Admirer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okrivqr/pseuds/okrivqr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yokohbadboy/pseuds/yokohbadboy
Summary: his joyous rays make me dream of love.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character





	1. prologue.

the dark and endless night sky looked down upon the humble town, on a frigid december night. snowflakes floated in the air, slowly descending like a bundle of feathers. the moon shone brightly, in its waxing gibbous phase. it was quite beautiful.

the beach was quiet, nobody in sight whatsoever, of course, besides two. the black-haired male's footsteps crunched in the soft sand as he approached the other. he lifted his scarf up a bit, letting out a cold and shaky breath.

the dark haired male stopped in front of a taller, blonde male, who's attention was on the vast ocean.

the shorter male's hands were clammy, maybe from the cold, maybe from his nerves. he looked at the blonde, his eyes reflecting off moonlight.

he could hear his heartbeat, loud and clear through his ears. he was terrified; he had never done this before. yet still, he swallowed his pride and hoped for the best.

with a deep breath, his lips curled into a small smile. 

"hey, you."


	2. one.

the sound of feet coming down the wooden stairs were loud and clear. nagamine grabbed his jacket from the hanger by the door and put his arms through the sleeves, throwing his school bag on his shoulder.

"ah, hotaru!" nagamine heard his mom's voice and turned around. "don't forget your lunch," a box wrapped in a yellow cloth sat on the counter. the black-haired male walked over and grabbed his lunch. he zipped open his bag, placed it in gently, then quickly zipped it back up. 

nagamine slid open the front door, a slight creak reverberating around the room, "i'm heading out." 

"take care," he heard his mom say, before walking out and sliding the door closed behind him.

nagamine began walking to school, taking his time. he counted his steps, occupying his mind as a warm breeze swept by him. the black-haired male looked up, watching from a distance as pink petals fell from a tree.

they fell quickly, flipping over multiple times before settling on the ground. nagamine turned his attention away as a ringing sounded from a distance. he stopped in his tracks as the train barrier slowly came down, blocking his way.

it was loud, the momentum of the train blowing the air around him. the sound of metal on the railroads went on for a few minutes, nagamine holding up his arm to block off the wind from his face. he waited patiently for the gate to lift so he could go on his way, not wanting to be late for the entrance ceremony.

the sixteen year old stepped onto school property, seeing kids bustling around with their families. many of them in groups, while some alone looking at a piece of paper. he followed majority of the kids, heading towards the gym where there was an even bigger crowd.

nagamine walks into the spacious gym and finds himself a seat, placing his bag on the ground next to him. his posture relaxed and he sunk back into his chair, "second year now, huh."

a head of blonde hair passes nagamine's line of sight and he watches the male take a seat to the left of himself. _is he a delinquent,_ nagamine thought. maybe his hair was natural.

before he realized it, he was staring right at the boy who seemed to look confused at nagamine's gaze. "is there something on my face?"

"oh. no," nagamine blurted. "ah," the blonde chuckled. the male in front of him seemed taller than himself with big, hazel eyes to accompany his tousled blonde hair. if not a delinquent, he certainly looked like a foreigner; that wasn't a bad thing.

"i don't think we've met. i'm kuze shinjiro, second year as of now." a cheerful smile appeared on the blonde's face. "nagamine hotaru. same year," nagamine took one last look at the other, before turning his gaze back to the front of the room, to which kuze did the same.

nagamine watched as the remaining parents and students took their seats, the room getting quieter with each passing second. the new first years walked into the gym and stood in a line, initiating claps from the audience, which included himself. nagamine didn't care for the principal's, the teachers', nor the students' speeches. he found himself bored out of his mind, with his only pastime being stealing glances at the blonde beside him. 

_he's pretty,_ a thought not new to nagamine. he was attracted to males, after all, though he's never said it out loud.

as the ceremony came to an end, nagamine stood up and grabbed his bag. the ceremony was finally over and it was time for class. he walked himself down the narrow alley between the chairs and out in the open.

"oi, nakamine was it?" the blonde-haired boy from earlier ran after him, slightly stumbling over on a chair or few before reaching the black-haired boy.

"it's nagamine," the shorter male averted his gaze, _yep, he's a foreigner._

kuze stopped short, muttering a small, "oops." he laughed awkwardly, brushing off the fact that he just messed up somebody's name. "so what class you in?"

"2-3," nagamine looked back up at kuze, taking in the fact that he was indeed taller, "you?"

kuze lit up, smiling. "same! do you wanna walk to class together?"

the invitation made nagamine’s fingers curl. it seemed like kuze was one of _those_ social butterflies and nagamine didn’t want in on any part of it.

“sure..” he said, reluctantly. nagamine knew he would regret this decision later on.

the pair of boys walked side by side, kuze always asking nagamine questions. sometimes he answered, but sometimes kuze was met with silence. it didn't bother the blonde much, but he soon stopped bothering the black-haired male.

as they walked to the main building, kuze never stopped talking. nagamine noticed that he was on the basketball team, based on the short conversations he was having with other people. it irritated him, that he could be so social without a care in the world, or maybe, nagamine envied him.

the thing that bothered him most was when a certain brunette came up to them. he seemed close with kuze, and nagamine envied the thought of having a best friend. the black-haired male tried to ignore it, but whenever they laughed, he felt a jolt of annoyance.

”i’ll head to class first then,” nagamine said, words laced with venom. nagamine slipped past the two and quickly headed to his locker first, which wasn’t too far ahead. 

kuze watched nagamine walk away and looked at the male adjacent to himself, “you probably scared him off, riku.” the brunette rolled his eyes, “shut up, man.”

nagamine quickly opened his locker and placed his bag inside, grabbing his materials. he closed his locker back up and went towards the stairs, ascending them. he caught a quick glimpse of kuze with more of his friends, but at this point, he could care less.

nagamine headed towards his classroom and walked in. he sat at a desk and placed his books on top. _time to focus on work_ , he thought. with the start of the new school year, nagamine didn’t have time to waste on silly games.

and he certainly didn’t have time to waste thinking about kuze.


	3. two.

"you probably scared him off, riku." kuze laughed, hitting his best friend lightly on the arm. 

"shut up, man." riku laughed alongside him. kuze shook his head, glancing to his other friend.

"hey, nao," kuze plastered a smile back onto his face. "i heard you were leaving the basketball club this year."

"yeah, switching to the math club." kuze let out an airy laugh. "hey, you know i was lacking in those math tests last year," the dark-haired male huffed. 

"yeah, yeah, i get it. you're a third year now, with college entrance exams and everything." kuze wrapped an arm around the other's shoulders, "it's just not gonna be the same without you."

"you'll be fine, besides you have riku." nao gestured to the brunette, who looked up at him confused.

kuze chuckled, shaking his head. "he plays soccer, not basketball." nao rolled his eyes, glancing off to the side before speaking up.

"hey, don't miss me too much when i'm gone." nao smiled, facing kuze.

the blonde hummed in response, replying in a genuine tone. "of course not." the bell rang in the distance, students scattering to head off to their class. "well, see you!"

the group of boys dispersed, kuze nodding to riku as the brunette headed off to his class. the blonde then quickly climbed the stairs, skipping 2 at a time. he headed inside room 2-3, catching eyes with nagamine. he smiled and waved, hoping to get a reaction back.

nagamine gave him a small nod, trying to avoid the blonde as much as possible. the bell rang again, signaling that anybody who entered: class now, was considered tardy. kuze took a seat, a few desks away from nagamine. more students took their seats and then their—female—teacher walked in, "good morning everyone!" everybody reciprocated the greeting and she placed her papers on the podium at the front. 

"pleasure to meet you all! my name is itou shizuka and i will be your teacher for the rest of this year. you may already know me if you're in the school's newspaper committee, as i am the sponsor."

_itou sensei, huh._ coincidentally, nagamine was a member of the school newspaper committee. though she was a good person, he was sure that he would get bored from seeing her all day.

itou opened her folder that contained papers with the names of the students in front of her, "now when i call your name, please say 'here'! thank you." nagamine propped his head up with his hand, listening to the gentle voice of his teacher as she listed the names of his, soon-to-be acquainted, classmates.

homeroom was soon over and the rest of the morning classes went by in a breeze. lunch time was now here and kuze walked over to nagamine. the blonde didn't know why he kept talking to the black-haired male, but he wanted to befriend him, if they were not already friends.

"oi, nagamine! i got that correct this time, didn't i?"

kuze's voice urked nagamine, "..uh huh." the black-haired male stood up and walked out of the classroom, hoping to get his lunch from his locker. maybe he could get by lunch without being bothered by that blonde kid, he thought.

kuze watched the back of nagamine's figure, leaving the classroom and turning the corner. _did i do something?_ the second year scratched the back of his head, following shortly after the black-haired male and leaving the room.

kuze turned to the right, waiting outside door 2-2 for riku. the brunette shortly bumped into him, asking him about how his teacher was like. kuze answered, thinking that he could at least have lunch with his best friend.

the sixteen year old also made a mental note to talk to nagamine after school.

nagamine returned back to his classroom with his nicely wrapped lunch in hand. he sat back down at his desk, untied the cloth knot and opened the box. nagamine let out a relieved sigh; his mom made him his favorite, noriben with mackerel, mustard greens, and fish cakes. 

as he munched on his lunch quietly, nagamine looked over at the classroom door. _was i too cold? no. that's on him. he was the one who chose to talk to me._

nagamine forced the rest of his 'kuze' thoughts out of his head and continued eating, the occasional cherry blossom blowing onto his desk from the open window.

kuze waited at the bottom of the stairs as riku went to buy lunch for them. they always ate cafeteria food, too lazy to pack their own lunches. the blonde peered out the window, watching as small weeds wavered in the wind.

kuze knew riku's parents traveled a lot for their jobs, and his older brother never had time to make him lunch. as for his own family, well, his parents divorced when he was in junior high—right around when he met riku. his mom slept in a lot, tired from working late at night to pay bills.

"shinjiro!" riku snapped him out his thoughts, tossing him a katsu sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap.

the pair of boys headed outside, walking towards the track field. kuze unwrapped his lunch taking a bite while listening to riku rant about his teacher. the both of them sat down on the bleachers, which were warm from being in the sun. 

the crunch of his sandwich, the heat from the sun, this peace being with riku; a normal high school life that kuze sort of missed over break. "hey, riku."

"huh?" the brunette looked at kuze.

"we'll be friends forever, right?" a hopeful look glazed over the blonde.

"what's with that?" riku's nervous laughter filled the air, as he took another bite out of his sandwich. "but yeah. i don't plan on anything different."

kuze wrapped his sandwich back up in the plastic and placed it beside his seat, standing up. "i'm gonna get a drink, want one?"

riku raised his hand up high, "always, if it's on you!"

a grin spread on the blonde's face, "be quiet. milk tea, right?"

"you know me so well, shinjiro," riku winked at the other, to which kuze laughed and headed towards the awning where the vending machines were. he searched through his pockets to find a 500 yen coin. "perfect."

kuze inserted the coin in the slot and pressed the button for a milk tea. he grabbed the bottle that fell from below and the change, putting a few coins back in the machine. the press of a button and a green tea fell out of the bottom. kuze grabbed the second bottle and pocketed the remaining change.

"catch," kuze threw the relatively cold bottle of milk tea at his best friend. riku caught it in a swift movement, "thanks." kuze sat back down and opened his tea. he took a sip from it and continued to eat his lunch. 

_friends are forever._ the thought lingered in kuze's mind. he thought back to the black-haired boy, wondering what he was up to. he was set on becoming nagamine's friend.

the mere idea of it brought a smile to his face.


	4. three.

kuze scribbled a messy sentence on a piece of paper, putting it on the kitchen counter. it was a quick note to his mom, just telling her that he was heading out for school. the blonde put on his shoes, rushing out his house. he readjusted his backpack, texting a short message to riku that he was on his way.

he sighed, staring at the sky as he made his way to school. nagamine had ignored him, after school when kuze tried to talk to him. the black-haired male had made an excuse, quickly leaving on his heels and leaving the blonde in the dust.

kuze ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. the blonde eventually got to school, going straight towards his locker. he put his stuff inside, closing it as he had some free time for coming early.

itou sensei walked by, carrying two boxes. "ah, kuze! do you mind carrying these to the newspaper committee’s room?”

he turned to the direction of her voice, “oh sure!” the male pushed up his sleeves of the white button up shirt.

”sorry to bother you, i’ve got some more paperwork to print out before class starts,” she said, as she placed the boxes in the sixteen year old’s hands. “no, no, it’s fine. really.”

the corners of itou’s lips curled up into a kind smile, “thank you, kuze.” she gave the blonde a small nod and walked off. 

kuze balanced the boxes in his arms before moving to the newspaper room. he glanced to the side every few seconds, making sure that nobody was in front of him. it would be pretty bad if he hit somebody.

when kuze finally found his way down the hall, he turned to the right. the room was to his left and he walked in, not realizing that a certain somebody was in his way. only until kuze heard a thud and a muffled curse, did he turn his head to the right to look in front of himself.

_"watch where you're going."_ that familiar cold tone.

"nagamine?" kuze's words came off sounding like a puppy who finally found their lost toy. "gh.. it's you," nagamine mumbled under his breath. the black-haired male shuffled out of the doorway and to the side, "itou sensei asked you to bring those, right?"

a moment of realization flashed through kuze's eyes and the blonde hurriedly walked into the room, placing the boxes on the ground, "phew." he looked at the other, with a hand on his hip. "so, what were you doing in the newspaper committee room?"

nagamine was debating whether he should let kuze know about his club of choice. "i.. uh, needed to give an assignment to itou sensei, but she wasn't here." in the end, he decided it wasn't worth it. kuze would bother him about his club activities and nagamine didn't want anymore headaches caused by the blonde, that he didn't already have.

"if you're looking for sensei, she's probably in the faculty office. she said she had to print something out." kuze placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his fingers playing around with the loose piece of thread on the inside. 

nagamine's eyes grew shifty, "no. never mind." kuze walked out of the clubroom, a smile on his face, "wanna head to class with me?"

"oh. sure." by now, nagamine knew he couldn't get out of this situation, unlike last time.

"cool! let's go then," the look on kuze's face brightened, which nagamine noticed. _did he really want to talk to me that badly?_

the two walked side by side, through the halls and up the stairs—into their classroom.

"so, what club did you join? since it's all required and stuff." kuze tried to make small talk, not wanting the atmosphere to be awkward.

the black haired male nipped at the inside of his lip, "..tea ceremony." _damn it, why did i say that?_

"tea ceremony?" the blonde paused outside of the classroom, part of him wanting to wait for riku. "what do you guys do?"

nagamine walked inside the room, taking a seat at his desk. he stretched his arms out across the wood surface. "the usual things... preparing and serving matcha to people." he wasn't sure how long he could keep the facade up; he was slowly digging his own grave, a grave filled with tea.

kuze bit the inside of his lip, debating whether he should head inside or not. he told riku that he would meet him at the lockers this morning. the blonde sighed, feet moving before he could think.

kuze neared closer to the black haired male, grabbing a chair along the way. he placed it in front of nagamine, sitting backwards while leaning his arms on the back rest. "you should serve me sometime."

nagamine stared at the other with a blank look on his face, "huh?" _what do you mean 'you should serve me sometime,' you — dolt?_

kuze hummed, turning his head slightly to the side. "what do you mean 'huh?'" the blonde chuckled. "i mean as in tea, nagamine."

"oh, uh. sure," nagamine stuttered. this was not going the way he wanted it to. he took out his textbooks from the slot in the desk and opened his math book, "shouldn't you be in your own seat now?"

"eh? oh, yeah." kuze stood up, pushing the chair back to its original place. the blonde got out his phone, texting a quick apology to riku before sitting at his desk. more students started to come in and take their seats.

by the time nagamine finally took his nose out of his textbooks, the bell had rung and class had begun.


	5. four.

"oi, nagamine!"

kuze ran up to the black-haired male, who was about to open his locker. "what?" nagamine turned to the other, a faint scowl on his face.

"do you want to have lunch with riku and i?"

nagamine turned back to his locker and opened it, "maybe another day."

"aw, how come?" kuze frowned, leaning on his side against the lockers.

_when is he gonna leave me alone?_ nagamine zipped open his bag, which was sitting inside of his locker, and grabbed his wrapped lunch, "i need to finish up the english homework from yesterday."

"ohh. we had english homework?"

nagamine shut his locker, "you better hope itou sensei didn't hear you just now." he walked past kuze and back into their classroom, snickering to himself.

"wait! hold up now." kuze turned around, walking behind the shorter male. "want to do it together?"

"weren't you going to eat lunch with your friend?" nagamine sat down at his desk, unwrapping his lunchbox.

the blonde shrugged. "he'd understand, besides, it's not like i'm his only friend." kuze laughed, standing in front of nagamine's desk.

"knock yourself out then," nagamine munched on a piece of karaage, as he took out his english textbook. 

the blonde went over to his own desk, reaching inside the slot to grab his books and a pencil. he grabbed his chair, pushing it along the way to the black-haired male. kuze sat on his chair backwards, placing his materials on the wooden desk.

a few minutes passed and kuze wanted to break the silence. "so, when's your birthday?"

"why does it matter?" nagamine wrote in his book quietly, 'the moon certainly does not get any bigger as it circles around the earth.' he took bites from his lunch and occasionally glimpsed at the blonde. 

"well, just curious. i keep track of all my friends' birthdays." kuze scribbled in his notebook, reading a passage at the same time.

nagamine stopped writing for a moment when he heard the word 'friend', before continuing. "may 21."

kuze looked up. "that's really soon!" the blonde took out his phone, typing something in his reminders.

"sure," nagamine, soon enough, finished his homework and focused on eating. as he ate, he looked at kuze. "you do know it's lunch time, right?"

"oh." the blonde looked at the clock, closing his textbook. "i'll just get something later, lots of time."

nagamine exhaled sharply and placed a piece of broccoli in his mouth, "don't blame me if you forget." 

"would you even remind me in the first place?" kuze joked, putting on his signature smile.

"good point," nagamine finished the remainder of his lunch and put the lid back on. he wrapped it back up in its cloth and leaned back in his chair, his eyes tracing the lines on the ceiling.

kuze watched as his arm dangled from the chair, boredom creeping up his spine. "so, are you from around here?"

"mhm," there was a lengthy pause. "are you not?"

"well, i was born here, but my dad's foreign." it was his turn to pause. "or, at least, from what i've heard."

"i see," nagamine found himself slightly curious, but didn't feel like asking. it wasn't his business, anyways.

"ah, sorry. did i make that awkward?" kuze rubbed the back of his neck, looking up at the black-haired male.

nagamine folded his arms on his desk and laid his head on them, staring up at the blonde's eyes, "no."

kuze held eye contact for a few seconds, a feeling bubbling up in his stomach. the blonde turned away, getting up from his spot. "i'm going to get lunch. do you want anything?"

"a green tea, thanks." nagamine turned his gaze to the window; cherry blossoms blew gently in the wind — the sky, a beautiful blue.

the blonde nodded, jogging out the room and nodding to fellow friends. he ran down the stairs, checking the time as he walked by the lockers. he had only a few minutes before lunch time was over.

the boy headed inside the cafeteria, fishing money out his pocket. he walked over to a vending machine, inserting and pressing a button twice. kuze carried the two bottles in a hand, buying a quick sandwich for himself.

he looked at the selection of food today, noticing that they had some jellies on sale. kuze smiled, feeling an urge to buy it for a specific someone. the blonde bought it, holding it in the same hand that held the drinks.

he jogged down the halls that were almost empty, most students filing inside their classrooms. the sixteen year old skipped the steps two at a time, speed walking to his class. he walked in, placing a green tea and jelly on nagamine's desk, just as the bell rang.

the black-haired male lifted his head and placed the bottle on the floor, next to his seat. he eyed the small jelly cup, a soft smile on his face. _what am i, a child now? but i guess, it's nostalgic._

nagamine stuffed the jelly into his pocket, in hopes that he wouldn't forget about it.

kuze chuckled to himself as he hid the food in the slot of his desk. the teacher walked in, greeting teens that welcomed her. 

"alright everyone, in your seats. please take out your history textbook and open it up to page 267." she said, opening up her own book.

nagamine listened closely as itou sensei gave her lecture. he wrote down important notes that he might need, like a diligent student. yet, every so often, he would gaze at kuze, who was only a few desks away. his blonde hair appeared nearly transparent in the warm sunlight. his fixed gaze on his work mirrored nagamine's on the former, and for a moment, kuze looked ethereal in his eyes.

a voice in nagamine's head told him to stop looking, stop staring, get to work — but his mind wouldn't listen.

_maybe he isn't so bad._


	6. five.

"shinjiro!"

the said name turned around, searching for the voice that called him. kuze ran out the school building, turning the corner only to find his best friend. "riku?"

"there you are." riku grabbed the blonde's arm, dragging him to the vending machines. "you've been having so many plans lately, was worried you were ditching me."

"huh? no, ‘course not." kuze frowned, slipping money inside the vending machine. "i've just been trying to befriend somebody."

"somebody you like?"

kuze stared at his best friend, taken aback expression on his face. "eh?" _somebody i like_? the blonde blinked, not sure how to respond to the brunette's question.

"move." riku pushed him aside, clicking the button for milk tea. "it has to be somebody you like."

"he's just a friend." kuze defended, frowning.

"he?" riku teased, sipping his drink that kuze paid for.

kuze placed more money into the machine, “you better pay me back for all the drinks i’ve bought you.” riku patted the other on the shoulder, “i will, i will.”

kuze pressed a button and grabbed the green tea from the bottom, “but yeah, _he._ a classmate.”

"okay, _he's_ a classmate, but do you like him?" riku leaned against the wall.

"i'm pretty sure he hates me." kuze blinked, sipping his second green tea of the day. "okay, maybe _hate_ is an exaggeration."

"thought so." riku chuckled, looking up at the blonde.

"but still, i don't think he sees me as a friend." 

riku twisted the cap back onto his drink, “you still didn’t answer my question though.”

”i haven’t got a clue,” the blonde’s uneasy laughter made the air feel stale. kuze’s lips curled back into a modest grin, “but we’ve only just met! it’s not like i know much about him,” his voice trailed off. “...either."

”hey, if the worst comes to the worst, you’ve still got me. i won’t leave you hanging like anybody else,” riku returned the smile. “yeah, thanks. i appreciate it,” kuze took another sip from his tea.

"so, who is this classmate?" riku pushed himself off the wall, pushing him back inside the school.

"you want me to describe him?" kuze grimaced, opening his locker to grab his bag.

"yeah. why else would i be asking?" 

in all honesty, it took a moment for kuze to compose his thoughts. what _did_ he know about nagamine? "he's.. studious and hard-working, seems to be pretty intelligent, but closed off." kuze quickly put the cap on his drink, zipped open his bag, and placed the bottle inside.

"you're into kuuderes?"

"hah?" kuze looked at his best friend. the brunette was taking the blonde aback so many times today. "you've been watching too much of whatever you're watching."

riku grabbed his bag from his own locker and shut the door, "soon enough, i'll be saying 'i told you so.'"

kuze put the bag strap on his shoulder, "yeah, whatever. come on, let's go." the brunette gave him a nod and the two headed out of the building.

the pair walked home together, something they haven't done in a while. kuze offered riku to sleep over, but the brunette denied, already having plans to help his brother do something. the blonde smiled, feeling a sense of comfort with his best friend. 

the sun began to set and darkness soon filled the sky. kuze laid on his bed, feeling refreshed after having just taken a shower. he stared out the window besides his bed. the sky was decorated with the bright moon and speckled with stars.

kuze's mind went to nagamine. he was the one in a million, in the midst of the sea of stars, who peaked kuze's interest. it felt good, spending time with the black-haired male, despite the latter keeping a constant distance between the two of them. kuze looked forward to seeing him tomorrow.

he smiled to himself as he slipped under the covers of his bed, and quickly drifted off to sleep — bound to have sweet dreams.


	7. six.

kuze left his room, quietly walking down the stairs in hopes to not wake up his mother. he headed to the kitchen, getting ready to write a note when he saw her, his mother, sitting at the table. "mom?"

the woman looked up, tired. "don't bother me, shinjiro."

the blonde frowned, feeling slightly hurt. he barely had time to talk to her, especially in the mornings. he sat across from her at the counter.

"what are you doing?" kuze looked at the papers scattered around, his mother fidgeting with a pen. "if it's bills, i can help." he offered, wanting to take some stress off her shoulders.

"i said, don't bother me." she wrote something down, glancing at her phone. "you can't help with this."

kuze looked at the papers again, trying his best to read the words upside down. all he could make out were 'job' and 'hiring'. _is she applying to another job?_

"did you get fired?" kuze asked, words coming out of his mouth completely different from his head.

his mother looked up, a frown etched on her face. "don't you have school? run along now."

kuze gripped the edge of the counter tops. _how can she toss me away like this?_ he got up without saying anything, leaving the house and shutting the door quietly.

all he wanted was to spend time with her, even if it was helping with something he didn't necessarily want to do. she was his mom, the only immediate family member that he knew of. the closest to family to kuze was riku, but he saw him almost everyday.

kuze stuffed his hands in his pockets with a sigh, "whatever." he kicked the stray pebbles on the road as he continued walking. 

the school was, soon, in sight and he lifted his head up, putting a smile on his face. "no time to be mopey."

"morning, shinjiro!" the loud voice of a certain brunette came from behind. the blonde turned around, "riku! morning."

"you looked out of it, did something happen?" riku said, as he matched the other's pace.

"agh, it's nothing." kuze stared at the ground, watching as his feet tapped against the concrete ground. "my mom's being weird, i guess."

"weird? how?" riku walked with his hands behind his head, the bag on his shoulder swung lightly.

"she was awake this morning, filling out some job application." kuze stepped inside the school, waving to some girls. "and she wouldn't tell me anything when i asked."

riku exhaled sharply, dropping his hands back to his sides, "did she lose her job or something?" 

kuze shrugged, opening his locker more harsher than usual. "i asked, and she told me to _run along_." kuze stuffed his bag inside, grabbing the textbooks he needed.

riku opened his own locker and placed his bag inside. "don't break your locker, shin," he said, with a laugh. "in all seriousness, i can see why you're irritated."

the blonde scratched his head, closing his locker softtly. "yeah, whatever though. i'll see if i can talk to her after school. how are things with your brother?"

riku grabbed his own materials, searching for a pencil. "he's fine, been helping him with his job."

kuze nodded, waiting for his best friend to finish getting ready. they walked up the stairs, taking a few minutes to talk to people from their clubs, or just in general. riku waved, heading inside his own class, 2-2, as the bell rang. kuze speed walked to his own classroom.

when he walked inside, nagamine was already there, of course. kuze gave him a small wave and sat down. the black-haired male glanced at the other, but otherwise, no response.

_still nothing, huh._ kuze rested his head on his hand, keeping his gaze on the shorter male. the latter had his nose in a book, as always. 

sunlight laid upon nagamine, his dark hair being gently hugged by the warm rays. at that moment, the only thought in kuze's head was: _wow, he's beautiful._ he hurriedly turned his gaze to the front of the classroom, as to keep his obtrusive thoughts at bay.

a warm feeling spread through kuze's chest as he glanced over once more. the rays of sun brought out his features, tiny dust particles floating around him. he was gorgeous; that was the word kuze used to describe him.

itou sensei finally walked in, snapping kuze out of his daze. "how embarrassing." he mumbled to himself, opening up his textbook.

soon enough, it was lunch time. riku popped up at the door, startling kuze a bit. "shinjiro, let's go!"

the blonde stored his books away in his desk slot. "alright, alright. coming." he got up, riku immediately hooking an arm around him.

kuze looked over his shoulder, tuning riku out to look at nagamine. he was still immersed in his book, chin on his palm. 

"shin, are you even-" he followed kuze's gaze, "ohhhh.." 

the brunette's elbow found its way to kuze's side, "that your boyfriend?"

"gah-" kuze rubbed his side, tugging his friend towards the stairs. "classmate."

" _that_ classmate?" a playful smirk made its way on riku's face.

"yes, that." kuze began to grew impatient, not so sure why he was growing so defensive.

"as in, _he_?" they made their way to the cafeteria, keeping their voices low.

"yes, _he_." the blonde pushed riku's arm off his shoulders, turning on his heels to get in line.

riku put his hands in pockets and leaned his head back a bit, giving kuze a meaningful look before laughing. “i see.”

kuze’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “what?” riku waved his hand, urging him to turn back to the front of the line, “nothing, nothing.”

"i don't get you sometimes." kuze paid for two sandwiches, subtly smiling out of riku's sight.

“and yet we’re still best buds. it works out, doesn’t it?” riku took one of the sandwiches off the counter. “true,” kuze grabbed his sandwich and they headed to the vending machine. after quickly purchasing their favorite drinks, they headed outside to the bleachers, their usual lunch spot.

"have you been making any progress?" riku asked once he sat down, tearing off the plastic wrap. 

"progress?" kuze muttered, taking a bite out of his lunch.

"you know, on _him_." riku opened the cap on his drink. "you haven't even told me his name yet."

kuze looked up at his classroom's window, getting a look at the black-haired male, "nagamine."

riku chuckled and took a sip of his milk tea, "you really can't take your eyes off him, huh? all of the other girls must be jealous."

kuze hit the other's shoulder with the back of his hand, "be quiet and eat your lunch."

riku shook his head, finishing his lunch in silence with the company of kuze.


	8. seven.

a week had passed since kuze bought the green tea and jelly for nagamine. the black-haired male had tried paying kuze back, but the blonde insisted that it was alright and that it was on him. it irritated nagamine, but he was sort of glad to keep his money.

_"i enjoyed the jelly, thank you,"_ was what nagamine had said in return. the sixteen year old remembered kuze lighting up, like a little child seeing christmas lights for the first time.

it was a nice memory that nagamine kept in the back of his head.

nagamine looked at his reflection in the mirror as he tied the red tie around his neck, slinging his bag over his shoulder, after. commotion could be heard from downstairs and he followed the sounds. when he reached the first floor, his mom was there talking to someone.

"nee-san?"

the figure turned around and instantaneously brought a smile to their face, "ah! good morning, hokkun!" the long haired female, who's hair pigment matched nagamine's ivory black, approached him. she got closer to his face, eyes crinkling as she took a look at him. "hm, have you gotten taller?"

"you're imagining things," nagamine huffed. "it's your yearly trip, right?" he said, hand gripping onto the bag strap. "yep!" she gave him the wink and gun, to which nagamine gave a small smile and shook his head. 

"anyways, i'm heading out." nagamine walked past the counter and grabbed his lunch, putting it in his bag. he quickly slipped on his shoes and opened the door. he heard a, "take care!" from both his mom and sister, before leaving.

nagamine started his path to school, passing by the same cherry blossom trees everyday. he glanced at them, noticing the floor of pink petals. it brought a smile to his face, that the world could be such a place as close to heaven.

he stopped behind the train gate, looking up at the flashing red light, followed by a ' _ding!'_ each time. the black-haired male looked to the right, seeing the train in the distance. lifting up an arm, he blocked the sunlight and cool air that winded up around him.

the barrier lifted, nagamine carefully stepping over the train tracks. little pebbles scattered around his feet, rolling across the concrete ground. he followed them with his eyes, immersed in the littlest things.

by the time he arrived at school, there were a clutter of students. he walked past the crowds, heading to his locker to put his bag away.

as per usual, he opened his locker, placed his bag inside, and grabbed his books. he turned around, hoping to get to class, only to be met by a pair of hazel eyes that were way too close for comfort.

"you're too close," nagamine said, bluntly.

"my bad," kuze stepped back, a bounce in his step. "these locker areas are tight, y'know." nagamine looked around; students were all arriving and wouldn't move away from their lockers, like stubborn cows, too busy talking to their friends. no wonder it was so crowded.

"how are you?" the blonde decided to ask a simple question, just to get nagamine to warm up. he reminded himself to keep a distance, until he was more comfortable with him being closer.

”fine.” nagamine’s eyes darted from the blonde and the floor in front of him, before opening his mouth to speak again. “...you?”

kuze chuckled, walking backwards a few steps, waving a hand to usher the boy to follow him. "i've been alright." nagamine narrowed his eyes, reluctantly following him.

the two headed to class, no words exhanged. when they sat at their desks, kuze turned around to nagamine, “how does lunch sound again?”

”there wasn’t a first time,” nagamine laid out his textbooks on his desk. “you just sat there.”

"uh- hey! i asked if i could." kuze frowned, pretending to be slightly hurt. he wasn't actually sure if that struck a chord in him.

a troubled look appeared on the black-haired male's face; he wasn't purposely trying to be harsh. "..sure," he mumbled.

the blonde casted a look to the door, then back at nagamine. "do you want to have lunch again? it's alright if you say no."

"i said, sure," nagamine groaned. it wasn't gonna hurt him _too_ much if he spent his lunch time with kuze again, he thought.

a small smile appeared on kuze's face. "great! talk to you when the time comes." he turned back around, sitting at his desk quietly. nagamine noticed a softer tone to his voice, as if something was dragging him down.

_what's with him today?_

he blinked a few times, his unwavering gaze still on the blonde. nagamine tilted his head, wondering what could have occurred, before turning his attention away. 

_even if i stare, he'll still be sitting there wailing in, who knows what._

staring would bring him no where, nagamine was aware of that. it was a habit he picked up as a child, and he knew he needed to drop it.

the bell rang and class started. morning classes passed by, slower than usual, nagamine thought. he looked at the blonde, who was only a couple feet away, still in his seat.

_maybe it's because the sun's not shining today._

kuze twirled his pencil for a bit, before standing up and making his way towards nagamine. "i'll be back, have to buy lunch."

the black-haired male was taken off guard, "oh. okay." he stood up, "i need to get my lunch too."

the blonde turned on his heels, rummaging through his blazer for money. he made his way down the stairs, skipping two at a time. he turned, bumping into somebody.

"you're so reckless." riku's voice came from the person. "are you getting lunch?"

"huh, me? reckless?" kuze blinked, letting himself get led to the cafeteria by riku.

"skipping the stairs two at a time." a short pause filled the air before the brunette continued. "if you fell, i would've laughed."

kuze dryly laughed. "haha." which then turned into a genuine laugh. "gosh, you really know how to bring my mood up."

"of course i do," riku said, paying for two sandwiches and tossing one to the blonde. "here, in exchange for everything else."

kuze caught it in his hands and quirked an eyebrow, "buy me a drink for the rest of this week and we're even." 

"sure, sure." riku went over to the vending machine and bought their drinks, handing a green tea to kuze. "usual by the bleachers?"

kuze took the bottle, "ah, i'm eating with nagamine today." riku's eyes widened a little, a grin spreading on his face. "hey, hey. can i come with?"

the blonde thought about it, uncapping his drink. "maybe some other time. i'd need his opinion, and even _i_ don't know that much about him."

riku pouted, quickly sobering up. "alright, go have fun!" he encouraged the other to get a move on, his palms against kuze's back.

"oi, i can move myself!" kuze laughed, pushing off the brunette's hands.

he made his way back to the classroom, popping his head inside. nagamine was already there, unwrapping his bento box. kuze grabbed his chair, carrying it towards the black haired male.

the blonde set it down in front of him, sitting backwards on it, like usual. "hi."

”hello?” nagamine said, in a slightly confused tone. the black-haired male started to eat his lunch, which was leftover chicken katsu from last night.

kuze leaned against the back rest of the chair, unwrapping the plastic covering of the sandwich. he took a few bites, staring at the black haired male. "tell me about yourself."

nagamine kept eye contact between kuze and himself, almost like unwillingness to back down from a challenge, “what do you want to hear?”

kuze blinked, shrugging his shoulders. “anything. your favorite things, family, hobbies.” he listed off several topics.

"i enjoy reading, and creative writing if i have the time. i have a sister. oh. and," nagamine paused, contemplating his next words. "the tea ceremony thing was a lie."

kuze tilted his head, disregarding everything else the black-haired male said. “what club are you in then?”

"newspaper committee," nagamine said, chewing on a piece of lotus root.

”oh, i see.” kuze didn’t really have a clue on what they did. he was pretty oblivious at times. the blonde thought back to the other things nagamine had said. “you have a sister?”

"mhm, she's visiting this week actually." nagamine looked out the window, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. he knew that his sister always loved seeing them.

”what’s her name?” kuze finished off his sandwich, crumpling up the plastic wrap.

nagamine took out of his notebook, writing down something and showing it to the blonde. it read: 永峰伶凪. "rei.. nagi?" kuze wasn't an expert at reading kanji, in all honesty.

"reina. rei as in clever. na as in calm," nagamine shoved the notebook back into the slot of his desk.

kuze laughed, opening the cap to his drink. “my bad, i’m not the best at reading kanji.”

"don't worry," nagamine finished the rest of his lunch and placed the lid back on the box, "you got the characters right at least." he tied the cloth back around the box, setting it aside. his left arm laid on the desk with his chin resting on his right hand, "and what about you?"

”anything in particular you want to know?”

"you seemed..." the black-haired male wanted to choose his words carefully, "different today. what was that about?"

a feeling washed over kuze, something that he couldn’t quite describe. 

_he noticed?_

kuze’s eyes darted to the ground, suddenly finding interest in an ant crawling across the ground.

”just, uhm.” kuze looked back up at nagamine. he didn’t want to spill all of his feelings onto the black-haired male, so he toned it down. “stuff at home?” he didn’t mean for it to come out as a question.

nagamine found, 'stuff at home', hard to believe. "you don't sound sure."

the blonde panicked, saying his words quicker. “well, it is at home, but like, yeah.” he stuttered, not wanting to burden nagamine with his problems. 

"...i see," nagamine decided to back off, it wouldn't do any good to pry.

"sorry, i must sound like an idiot, don't i?" kuze chuckled, smiling at him.

nagamine gave him a timid smile, "no, you're.. interesting." it would be a lie if nagamine said he wasn't curious about the blonde; the latter had made such an effort to reach out to him — why not ride off the waves?

"interesting?" a playful grin spread across the blonde's face. "what makes me interesting?"

"you're certainly, persistent." the black-haired male raised an eyebrow, a small giggle escaping his lips, "can't seem to leave me alone, huh?"

kuze shrugged, keeping the smile on his face because of the small giggle he heard. "just wanna be friends." he mumbled.

"anyways," nagamine pushed his chair back and stood, bento box in hand, "lunch will be over soon. i need to put this back." he headed out of the classroom, then stopped right outside of the doorway and turned around, "thanks. that was.. fun." he said, before walking off.

"fun..?" kuze echoed, watching his figure turn the corner.

the blonde turned his head, staring out the window. he glanced at the cherry blossoms, for once truly embracing their beauty. "yeah.."

"that was fun."


	9. eight.

nagamine walked past the train tracks, looking down the right as the train disappeared from sight. it was a short one this time, thankfully, so he got to go home earlier. he looked down at his feet, watching as he put one foot in front of the other.

the black-haired male thought back to this afternoon, when it was lunch time. 

he remembered the uneasy look on kuze's face. nagamine didn't learn much about the blonde in that conversation, except that he was a bad liar.

the image of kuze's smile was still fresh in his mind, bright and full of joy — like he should be. nagamine only knew the other as the outgoing and friendly boy that everyone liked. he hadn't seen a different kuze, until today.

it puzzled nagamine and he only wanted to know more.

he wanted to know more about the other side of kuze shinjiro.

the quieter, secretive side of him.

the anxious, flawed side of him.

kuze had took it upon himself to get to know the black-haired male, so maybe, he’d return the thought. before he knew it, he was back home, opening the door and stepping inside. "i'm back."

"welcome home, hokkun!" the voice of his sister came from the kitchen. "where's mom?" nagamine asked, heading up the stairs and into his room. 

reina walked to his room and leaned against the doorframe, with a bowl of bunny-shaped apple slices. "getting groceries." she held out the bowl, "here, for old time's sake."

the sixteen year old took off his blazer and placed it on his chair. "thanks," he took the bowl from her hand. 

"ah~ i remember when you were just a little boy, asking nee-san to cut you some of those," she hummed, a hand against her cheek.

"that's only because mom was-" nagamine stopped to take in what he was saying. "..busy." 

there was an odd silence in the room, until nagamine sat down on his bed and took a bite of an apple, "so, how's your third year of college been?"

"oh, you know, it's whatever." reina took a seat in her brother's desk chair.

"still with, what was that guy's name? from high school-" 

reina rolled her eyes, "how many years have i been dating him now, and you still say that? ayukawa mi. na. to." 

"right," nagamine eyed the silver necklace sitting against her sternum; it had been there for four years now and hasn't come off since. 

she rested her face in her hands, with her elbows against the back of the chair, "and you? any boys catch your eye?"

"maybe. he's.. compelling, to say the least," he said, munching on an apple.

the twenty year old female had a soft smile on her face, "wanna tell me his name?" she always eased into invasive questions, like this, with her little brother; she knew he was touchy with these things.

"only cause you'll be leaving soon anyways," he finished the apples and set the bowl in his lap. "kuze. kuze shinjiro."

"shinjiro-kun, huh.." she pursed her lips, deep in thought. "do you want to tell me about him?"

nagamine stood up, "maybe another time." he headed out to the kitchen to wash the bowl.

reina watched him leave, with a pleased expression on her face. _you've grown into a fine man, hotaru._

the black-haired male washed the bowl, rinsing it off with water. he put it on a drying rack, along with many other dishes. the boy walked up the stairs, heading to his room. his sister had left.

he grabbed his english textbook, flipping it open to finish the homework that was assigned. nagamine opened his notebook, catching a glimpse of the kanji he wrote earlier today. '永峰伶凪' he said in his head, going to a new blank page.

doing his homework, he thought back to the day when kuze sat at his desk, also doing his work. nagamine remembered glancing up a few times, gazing at the blonde for no reason. he remembered the blonde having a habit of tapping his pencil, whether it was on his chin or the desk.

nagamine shook his head, sighing. he started writing down answers, half an hour passing. a message from his phone appeared, to which the black-haired male checked. it was from his male cousin, aoki chihiro, nagamine unlocking his phone and typing back.

a part of him kind of hoped it was kuze, even though he had never asked for his number. maybe he should ask for the blonde's number tomorrow. 

_no._

nagamine cringed at the thought of making the first move. sure, he wanted to know kuze more, but he would rather the blonde to initiate conversations between them.

he looked back at his phone and at his text messages.

_hey, hotaru! been a while, how've you been? how's school?_

to which, nagamine replied with: 

_the usual, what about you? third year life now, huh?_

_haha, right. though, the year's only begun.  
_ _rei-chan's spring trip is this week, right? i heard from my mom._

_yeah, she arrived today._

_sounds nice. man, it's really been a while since we've  
seen each other._

_you should come around sometime, hiro._

_we'll see, we'll see~_

the conversation put a shy smile on nagamine's face. he had been close with chihiro as a child and it was nice talking with him again.

_i'll talk to you later?  
i've got a little bit of homework left to finish._

_yeah, no problem! it was nice talking to you :)_

the black-haired male shut off his phone, putting it to the side to focus on the rest of his homework.

he looked up, staring at the window that was in front of his desk. it was nearing evening, sun setting and creating a warm glow across the surface.

_what a beautiful yellow_.


	10. nine.

kuze stumbled over to the black-haired male's desk, smile on his face as usual. it was the end of the day, and nagamine was gathering his materials. he looked up, staring at the blonde with a stoic face.

"would you want to walk home together?" kuze asked the other, frankly.

a quizzical expression suddenly appeared on nagamine's face, "we live in opposite directions..?"

the blonde shrugged. "i suppose it'd be more like, would you like me to walk you home?" 

_walk me home? what am i, a ninety year old man?_

nagamine got up, books pressed against his chest, "whatever you want."

kuze stepped back, nagamine noticing a bounce in his step. the pair went to their lockers, kuze asking to give him a moment as he went down the left hall. the blonde's locker wasn't too far from nagamine's, but it was a good few feet.

nagamine opened his locker, dropped his books into his bag and put the strap on his shoulder. he closed the door and stood by his locker awkwardly, waiting for the taller male ㅡ but who was nagamine to care about other people's thoughts?

the blonde opened his locker, placing his stuff inside his bag. he zipped it up, using his elbow to close the door before making his way through the crowd to nagamine.

"sorry to keep you waiting."

"you're fine. now, let's go," nagamine pointed to the school entrance with his thumb. kuze nodded and walked alongside the black-haired with a proud smile on his face. nagamine was starting to get used to him; kuze was making progress and he couldn't be happier.

when they stepped off school property, kuze stopped. “say, where do you live?”

"two streets from the train track," nagamine said, his eyes following their steps along the asphalt road.

"ooohh, i see." kuze walked down the side of the road. "let's go!"

the black-haired male let out a sigh, before following the blonde, "you act like you know where i live."

"well, i have an idea of where you live." kuze shrugged, falling back in his steps to be side-by-side with nagamine. 

nagamine looked at the other, "..and you? do you live close to the school?"

kuze turned around, walking backwards. "it's just a little over there, nothing too interesting to pass by." he pointed off to the distance.

the train tracks were up ahead, nothing in sight though. "if you trip, that's on you," nagamine walked over the tracks, eyeing the blonde.

"would you help me up?" kuze smiled, turning back around to catch up to the black-haired male. kuze took a quick glance down the train tracks, looking down the empty distance.

"no," nagamine turned his head away, nibbling on his lower lip. _why did his smile have to be so beautiful?_

kuze fake pouted. "aw, not even if i was hurt?" he teased, walking slightly behind the black-haired male.

"you're trying to guilt trip me now?" nagamine asked, clearly irked by the blonde's comments.

"huh? wait, wait, that wasn't what i meant!" kuze scratched the back of his head, worried if he accidentally annoyed him.

nagamine turned the corner and stopped at the first house, "well, we're here." he turned to look at kuze, making eye contact, "don't know why you would waste your time like this, but thanks, i guess."

kuze shrugged. "i don't mind getting home late." _not like there'd be anybody to welcome me._ a bitter thought surfaced through kuze's mind, but he pushed it down.

nagamine slid open his door, taking off his shoes, "well, i'm sure you need to be heading home now."

"haha, yeah. have a good rest of your day!" the blonde was about to head home, before he stopped once again. "and see you tomorrow!" he left.

the shorter male watched kuze leave and then walked inside, "i'm home-" his sister was standing right by the door, "who was that?"

"kuze," he said, walking past her. "ah~ i see. are you two close?" reina followed him.

"we barely know each other, nee-san." he went up the stairs and into his room, throwing his bag on his chair.

reina laughed at the bottom of the staircase, "hokkun! tomorrow when you come home with him, i'll invite him in for dinner — cause you won't!" 

the black-haired male ignored her statement, sat on his bed and unlocked his phone. 

he heard the door open again from downstairs.

"reina, can you help me put these vegetables away? and, ah!" he heard his mom's voice, "i saw this handsome, young man just outside. looks around hotaru's age and wears the same uniform. blonde hair, pretty smile. are they friends?" 

"i'm sure they will be, mom. i'm sure they will," his sister giggled. 

nagamine laid down on his bed, an arm over his eyes.

_what a nuisance._


	11. ten.

"you're sick?"

kuze tapped his pencil against the table, creating an uneven pattern of sounds. it was lunch time, and most students were outside hanging out. the blonde was about to go find riku, when he called.

kuze shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "you and your brother, always overworking."

the call ended soon, the blonde rubbing his eyes after. he went to the cafeteria to buy his lunch, a tuna mayo onigiri. he headed back to his classroom and took a seat at his desk, watching nagamine eat his lunch with a book in hand, from afar.

kuze wondered why he liked to read so much. he always saw him with a book at break time. it made him want to question the black-haired male about his favorite books. because then, he'd be able to listen to him, his voice.

nagamine felt eyes on him and it gave him goosebumps. he turned his head to look at the blonde, an apathetic look in his eyes. "is there something on my face?"

a feeling of déjà vu hit kuze; he had said the same thing to the black-haired male when they first met. it was kind of nostalgic, and it brought a warmth to his face. "no, nothing."

"ah, really." he turned his gaze back to his book and continued eating, busy in his own little world.

kuze let his right arm go limp besides his chair, left hand holding his food. "oi, nagamine, what book are you reading?" he hoped the other boy heard him.

”red rose* by yumesaki kentaro,” he said, flatly.

the blonde shifted in his seat, throwing his legs to the side. he was no sitting sideways on his chair. "tell me about it."

”it’s a story about a short-lived relationship, only for the two to come back to each other when they’re at their lowest. at first, it was only beneficial, until they got attached. it mainly revolves around the pain of trying to salvage what they have left, but to no avail.” nagamine looked up at kuze, eyes darting from his book to the other, “sorry. was i rambling?”

kuze shook his head. "go on, if there's more." he gestured to the book nagamine was holding.

nagamine stopped to think, "there's not much more. in the end, the two are left unsatisfied with not only the state of their relationship, but the state of their life. it's exhausting and whatnot." he paused, "i heard that it's a true story, or well, that it was inspired by a true story."

"huh, it sounds - interesting." kuze finished his onigiri. "kind of sad though."

the black-haired male closed the book, "yeah, it was a good one though." he finally turned his undivided attention to kuze, "so? what was your objective? you don't seem like the type to be interested in this kind of stuff."

the blonde shrugged. "i'm, bored?" he played with the wrapping of his lunch. "riku's sick, that's why i stayed in class."

"that's too bad for you, huh." nagamine laid his head on the back of his chair.

"yeah." kuze looked up at nagamine. "want to walk home again?"

"sure, whatever," nagamine took a quick look at the clock; lunch was almost over.

kuze did a silent cheer in his head, getting up to throw away his trash. it wasn't everyday that the black-haired agreed to something.

nagamine quickly went to his locker to put away his lunchbox away and returned back to his seat. soon enough, it was the end of the day and the black-haired male was packing up to leave.

"hey!" the blonde popped up next to nagamine's locker, resting his arm on the steel. 

nagamine grabbed his bag and closed the locker, turning to face the other, "hello."

"ready to go?"

"mhm," nagamine walked over to the other side of the blonde.

kuze turned around, trailing the black-haired male. "how was your day?"

"normal. you?" nagamine placed his hands in the pockets of his blazer.

"it was good, besides the fact that i overslept this morning." kuze laughed, running a hand through his hair.

nagamine did notice that. kuze had shown up to class at the normal time, but a bit different. his hair was more tousled and it looked like he ran to school, "so it seems." he looked up at the sky, speckled with cherry blossoms, blowing in the light breeze.

the blonde followed nagamine's eyes, then watched as the pink nature fell to the ground. he never had much interested in the world. kuze always focused on the present, himself, and friends. the two continued to walk, stopping when the train passed by — to which, nagamine took his phone out from his pocket. kuze watched as the black-haired male typed something on the screen.

kuze wasn’t sure if this was intrusive, but he decided to take the risk. “who’re you texting?”

"oh. just my cousin," nagamine put his phone back into his pocket, enjoying the beautiful scenery around them.

”what’re they like?”

the question brought a small smile to nagamine's face, "he's charismatic, supportive, genuine, humorous." _sounds kind of like someone else i know,_ he thought. "overall, a great person."

"he sounds like a great person." kuze smiled, turning a corner and stopping at the first house. "this is it?"

"yeah." nagamine opened his mouth to say something else, until the two heard the loud sound of a door sliding open. it was reina, of course, and with a frisky smile on her face. nagamine clearly forgot about what she said yesterday.

she approached the blonde quickly, "hello! are you hokkun's friend?"

"huh? oh, hi, i am." the blonde bowed slightly, to be polite. he wondered if this was the sister nagamine mentioned.

nagamine looked at the two of them weirdly. _we're friends?_

"nice to meet you! i'm nagamine reina," she pointed at herself and then put her arm around the black-haired male. "this one here, is my little brother."

the blonde looked up, chuckling. "as i've heard."

her eyes widened slightly, as she gave her brother a surprised look. she turned back to kuze, "what's your name?"

_so she's pretending she doesn't know, huh._ nagamine appreciated though, his sister's attentiveness.

"kuze shinjiro, nice to meet you." he rubbed the back of his neck, letting it rest there.

"of course, of course." she gave the blonde a smile, "hey, shinjiro-kun, would you like to join us for dinner?"

kuze blinked at nagamine. "is that really okay?"

the black-haired male shrugged, "sure. nee-san's a handful, so i'm not gonna argue." reina flicked his forehead, "i don't know who you're talking about."

the blonde laughed, nodding. "if it's not a bother, sure."

"ah, will your family be okay with that?" reina asked, arms resting on her brother's shoulders.

"my mom should be cool with it." he stuck his hands inside his blazer.

reina took her hands off of her brother, "great! come inside then." she headed into the house, nagamine following suit.

kuze followed them, taking off his shoes before entering. he looked around, noticing their neat furniture. everything was mainly wood, like a traditional rural house. it had a relaxing, comforting aura. on the kitchen counter, sat a bowl of fruits and a jar of rice crackers. across the kitchen was the living room area. a soft gray couch with a moderately-sized tv in front of it.

nagamine took off his shoes and headed up the stairs to his room, looking back for a moment.

reina washed her hands at the kitchen sink, then tied her back into a long ponytail, "shinjiro-kun, are you fine with cream stew for dinner?"

"anything's fine!" he took off his bag, taking a seat quietly at the kitchen table. the blonde hugged the bag to his chest, watching reina.

she took out a pack of chicken thighs from the fridge, opened it, and started to cut them into pieces. "mom's getting some other things from the store right now, she'll be back soon. if you want, you can join hokkun in his room?"

"ah, sure." he got up from his seat, turning back before leaving the room. "thank you for inviting me!"

he made his way to the stairs, going up. they creaked a bit under kuze's weight, which the blonde hoped wasn't too loud. he was a bit uneasy in somebody's household, especially if it wasn't riku's. kuze looked down the hallway, noticing a closed door. he assumed it was nagamine's, knocking lightly.

the door opened, revealing nagamine in a short-sleeved white shirt and black sweatpants. "oh. it's just you."

"yeah, me." the blonde mused. "can i come in?"

"sure," the black-haired male moved out of the way, letting kuze in.

he walked in, admiring the spacious room. there was a window across from his bed and a skylight on the ceiling. his desk was next to his bed, with a black desk lamp on it. his dresser was located by the end of his bed. kuze noticed it was really tidy. 

_so he's meticulous, huh._ one more note for the blonde to take in his mind.

nagamine closed the door and sat in his desk chair, gesturing for kuze to sit down on his bed. "i don't have any other chairs in my room, so if you don't mind."

"i don't." kuze sat down on the mattress, gazing outside the window. he settled his bag on the floor, next to the foot of the bed. 

the silence felt weird, so nagamine took it upon himself to say something for once. "...how's basketball club? it's off season, so i don't know what you guys would be doing."

the blonde looked up, surprised that he took initiative to ask something. "it's been good, just helping the first years." kuze looked at his hand. "i really should be practicing though." he laughed.

"i'd watch you practice," nagamine said, in an aloof tone.

kuze lit up, a smile on his face. "do you really mean that?" 

"don't take it personally, i need something to write about for our newspaper." the dark-haired male glanced at his phone, flashing with notifications from his club members. "but yeah, sure."

kuze hummed, a small "aww.." coming from his mouth. he pulled his legs up, shifting to a criss-cross position. "how's your club going?"

"slow. there's nothing interesting to write about at the beginning of the year, yet we still have to do it," nagamine groaned, as he looked up at the skylight — light leaking through the window panels.

"i'm sure there'll be interesting things soon enough." kuze followed his gaze, propping his elbow on his knee to rest his chin.

nagamine gazed at the blonde, "become interesting enough, and maybe i'll write about you."

"am i not interesting enough already?" kuze pouted, joking.

"you're baseline interesting." nagamine chuckled softly.

"ah." the blonde held a hand to his heart dramatically. "ouch." kuze had seen riku play this move on him many times.

there was another knock on the door, to which nagamine said, "come in."

a woman with chin-length, raven hair popped in. "hotaru, i heard from reina that you brought." nagamine airi, hotaru and reina's mom. she looked at kuze, a smile forming on her face. "a friend over."

kuze got up, bowing slightly. "pleasure to meet you, nagamine's mom. thank you for inviting me for dinner. i'm kuze shinjiro."

"it's no problem!" she paused, "i'll be downstairs preparing dinner, but i just wanted to come in and say hello." she gave the two of them a little wave, before walking away.

"your mom's nice." kuze turned back to the black-haired male.

nagamine kept his eyes on the door for a few more seconds, "yeah." he looked at the other, "and yours? what's your mom like?"

kuze's eyes lingered on nagamine as he shrugged. "she's.." the blonde thought hard. "hard working, and caring." kuze knew she worked to bring them money, and that she was the reason he was able to buy lunch.

"i see." nagamine watched kuze closely; _maybe it's a sore topic._

"she's at work right now though, so i don't really see her after school." he said nonchalantly, sitting back down on the bed.

the black-haired male looked at kuze with a sympathetic gaze, "is it hard?"

"what's hard?" he asked, clueless as always.

nagamine averted his gaze, "ah. nothing."

kuze stared at the floor, thinking of an answer for his question. the blonde was slow sometimes. "it's not hard, more complicated, i would say." he paused, "and lonely."

nagamine couldn't form a proper response in his head; everything sounded like too — much. seeing as how he described it, his mom was likely the only family he had. "well, as long as you keep moving forward, i'm sure you'll be able to find solace. seeing as you're.. you."

a small smile appeared on kuze's face. "thank you." he looked up at the ceiling. "maybe one day, you can meet her."

"it's nothing, but yeah. that would be nice." nagamine kept his gaze on the blonde. the weak rays from the setting sun lit up his face, he wore it beautifully like a mask. nagamine couldn't help but stare.

kuze tilted his head to the side, making eye contact with him. "i'll try discussing it over with her."

nagamine nodded slightly in agreement, but he hadn't actually heard his last statement. he was distracted, lost in the two jade beads known as kuze's eyes. 

kuze's heart leapt, feeling the same fluttery feeling in his stomach. he hadn't known if he had a crush on nagamine, but now he was certain. he had a crush on nagamine hotaru.

"dinner's ready!" a yell came from downstairs, startling the both of them. nagamine stood up and walked out of his room. 

_that was really dangerous. _it felt like time could keep passing, like time had no effect, as long as kuze was there. the blonde was messing with his thoughts way too much now, and he didn't like that.

kuze was hot on his trail, walking down the stairs.

he was starting to get really nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> footnote:  
> * a reference to one of my upcoming, if i finish it, works :) 
> 
> -yokohbadboy


	12. eleven.

the two came from the second floor, standing around the table. airi came over to the table with a big red pot of hot, cream stew, "watch out everyone." she set it down on one of the pot holders. then, she brought over the rice cooker and set it at the end of the table.

reina came out of the kitchen, joining the rest of them. airi opened the top of the rice cooker, steam billowing out of the container. she scooped some rice out onto four plates and set them all down. with a ladle in hand, she served the cream stew next to the rice.

after airi was finished, the four of them sat down, saying "thank you for the food." 

kuze stared at his food, glancing up at nagamine every now and then. he never had a meal with a family, besides riku. the blonde looked down at his food. nor did his mom ever cook anything. the black-haired male gave kuze the side-eye, as he ate, slightly confused at the former's unusual actions.

"so, kuze-kun. are you a foreigner?" airi asked, enjoying the meal she cooked herself. 

_there it is, the foreigner question, which even i didn't ask before. _nagamine knew it was gonna come up sooner or later anyways.

the blonde picked up his spoon. “ah, yeah, half, from my dad’s side.” he gave a smile, answering from what he knew.

"how interesting. what club are you in?" she twirled a lock of her hair around her fingers, her gaze on the young boy, unwavering.

"basketball, but we aren't on season yet." he replied, taking a bite of the food. a rich and creamy taste, but not heavy. the chicken was tender, the vegetables still had a bite to them and they added color to the dish. a warm and inviting meal that kuze hadn't had in a long time.

"oh, this is really good!" kuze looked towards airi, a genuinely happy expression on his face.

she gave him a light chuckle in response, "why, thank you."

the rest of the dinner passed by in a breeze. more questions were asked among them, and sometimes there was silence.

kuze put on his shoes, looking back to wave. "thank you for the meal!" an unfeigned smile still on his face.

airi had gone to the kitchen to clean up, leaving reina and hotaru. "of course, you're welcome to come anytime!" reina said, glancing at her brother. "hokkun, you should text him some other time, invite him over again." 

"...we haven't exchanged numbers," nagamine muttered under his breath. reina rolled her eyes, letting out a deep sigh, "of course, you haven't." she looked at the blonde, "well, i'll leave you two to it. bye for now, shinjiro-kun!" she walked away, going to the kitchen to help her mom.

the blonde got out his phone, pausing for a moment before holding it out. "do you want to exchange numbers?"

"not like i have a choice," nagamine said, sarcastically, taking kuze's phone in his hand. he quickly added his information into the other's contacts and handed it back.

kuze chuckled, gazing at the screen that now held nagamine's contact. "well, i'll see you at school." kuze opened the door, walking out.

"..yeah," nagamine said, awkwardly, as he watched the blonde walk out into the moonlit street.

the blonde jogged home, wondering if his mother was home. he didn't want to worry her. kuze ran up to his door, unlocking it and going in. he took off his shoes, seeing a faint kitchen light on. the blonde quietly peeked in, seeing his mother doing papers. "hi." he softly called out, pulling out a chair across from her.

"where were you?" etsu looked up, dark brown strands falling against her cheeks.

"at a friend's house." kuze took off his bag. "sorry to come home so late."

his mother darted her eyes down, collecting the scattered papers. "riku?"

kuze shook his head, watching her movements. "another friend." he casted a glance to the side. "are you applying to a new job?"

she scrunched up her face, picking up her pen. "don't worry about it, just worry on your studies."

"why do you keep avoiding the subject? am i that useless?" kuze frowned, gripping the strap of his bag.

"i didn't say that." etsu raised her tone, turning her back.

"all i wanted was an answer." kuze watched as she started walking. "you had no troubles answering me when i ask about dad!"

she turned around, hand on her office door. "you _know_ we don't talk about him anymore."

kuze couldn't believe she was being so difficult. "but you're refusing help when you need it!"

" ** _shinjiro_**." etsu called out his name, sending shivers down his spine. "i'm not having this conversation with you." and with that, she closed the door.

kuze sat in the kitchen for a little longer, eyes lingering on the wooden door. maybe he should start minding his own business. the boy dragged his bag upstairs, tossing it to the side as he climbed into bed.

he wondered what his dad was like. if he was any better than his mother. he turned to the side, wondering what the reason for their divorce was. maybe his father was generous, loving, and compassionate. more open about his feelings than his mother. or so he hoped. 

kuze's father could be vain, short-tempered, and abusive; maybe that's why they split. the blonde would never know. kuze was tired from today, _i'll shower in the morning,_ he thought.

his eyelids grew heavy, fluttering closed, as he hoped his dreams would be better.


	13. twelve.

saturday morning. kuze woke up, rubbing his eyes as he gained consciousness. the sunlight filtered in his room, casting bright lines across the floor.

the blonde got up, taking a quick shower. he thought about yesterday, the conversation with his mom. maybe he was being too pushy.

he changed, throwing on a black shirt and trotting down the stairs. his mom was in the living room, watching television. she rarely had time to do that.

”oh, shinjiro.” she looked over her shoulder, motioning her son over.

kuze walked over, leaning over the couch. “yeah?”

a pause lingered in the air, before etsu apologized. “i’m sorry about yesterday.”

kuze quirked an eyebrow, staring into his mother’s eyes. “it’s fine.”

etsu grabbed his hand gently, placed some money in his hand. she closed his hand into a fist, patting it lightly. “treat yourself.”

the blonde blinked. money didn’t solve anything, but he appreciated the thought. “do you want anything?” he asked.

”where do you plan on going?”

kuze shrugged. “the cafe, maybe stop by riku’s house.” kuze scratched his cheek. “he’s sick.”

”are his parents still traveling?” his mother brought her legs up on the couch.

”probably.” this was the longest conversation he had with his mother in a while.

”tell him i said hello, and you can get me whatever.” kuze nodded, heading to the front door and putting on his shoes. “oh, who’s house were you at yesterday?”

”a new friend that i met at school.” kuze grabbed a light coat. “had dinner with his family.”

“let me meet him sometime.” she smiled, and kuze knew he couldn’t turn her down.

”yeah, maybe when you’re free.” he left the house, closing the door quietly.

kuze walked along the side of the road and turned left around the corner. it was the same route that he took going to school. instead of turning right, where the school is, he went left — towards the main road, where there were more shops and restaurants. the blonde spotted it, their local cafe, café de amour. 

he pushed open the door, bell ringing above his head. a fragrant aroma filled his senses, eyes darting to the menu.

"welcome! how may i help you?" a young, female barista stood at the counter. fair skin and her hair, a dark brown, wrapped up in a messy bun. she wore a sweet smile and a brown apron on top of her work uniform.

"hello, may i get a chai latte, an iced green tea, and a dark roast iced latte?" kuze greeted the woman with a smile.

she put the order in the computer, "alright, that will be 1160 yen."

kuze put the money in the tray, waiting for her to cash it back out.

she placed the remaining 840 yen and receipt into the tray, sliding it across to the blonde. "your order will be ready in about 10 minutes," she said, before heading into the kitchen.

"thank you." he placed the coins in his pocket, walking off to the side.

he gazed around at the decorations on the wall that made the place have a cozy atmosphere. whiffs of tea, freshly-brewed coffee, and hot milk filled the place.

kuze remembered the times when he would come here in the winter, buy himself a hojicha latte, and snuggle up in a blanket among an empty house. only comforting memories were associated with this cafe, and he would like it to stay that way.

"a chai latte, iced green tea, and iced latte!" the blonde heard his order and went up to the pick-up counter. 

"thank you-" kuze looked up to see a familiar black-haired male, _"nagamine?"_

"...kuze." the shorter male said in response.

kuze took a moment to look at the other. he was wearing the usual work uniform, a white button up tucked into black dress pants, a brown apron to top it off. _he looks good._

the blonde coughed, picking up his drinks. "i didn't know you worked here."

"well, you didn't meet me until this year, did you?" nagamine said, fixing the knot on his apron.

kuze tilted his head, trying to remember if he ever saw him last year. he probably did. "true." 

"i work here part-time during the school year. i do other jobs during summer and winter break," nagamine glanced behind him, seeing if there was anybody watching him slack off. "now, are you going to leave? i've got work."

"cold as ever." kuze teased, a smile spread across his face. "but yeah, got some deliveries to make." he gestured to the drinks, turning on his heels.

nagamine stepped back from the counter. "don't drop them," a sneer on the edge of his lips.

"don't jinx it!" kuze shook his head, using his shoulder to push open the door.

the black-haired male turned around and headed into the kitchen, joining in the light chatter between employees.

kuze messaged riku, telling him that he was coming over. the blonde retraced his steps back home, going to drop off the latte beforehand. he took off his shoes, leaving the latte outside her room with a note. she was sleeping, but that didn't surprise the blonde. then he left, putting his shoes back on again.

the day was sunny, not too windy. the temperature was warm, just how kuze liked. he walked down two blocks, arriving at the brunette's house.

he unlocked the door, always having a spare key to riku's house. that's how much their family trusted him. he took off his shoes, sighing once he entered the comfortable air. he walked over to riku's room, not even deciding to knock before entering.

"hi." the blonde greeted, not caring what the brunette was doing.

riku had been in bed and turned around to his voice. "shin," his voice sounded croaky.

"spring cold, huh?" kuze set down the chai latte on his bedside table, "got you something. i know you like it iced, but priorities." riku mustered up a small chuckle, "thanks."

"did you know nagamine works at the cafe?" kuze sat at riku's desk, opening up his computer.

riku sat up, a pillow supporting his back, "how would i know if even _you_ didn't?"

"do you even want to listen to what else i have to say?" the blonde took a sip of his green tea.

"tell me, i'm bored." riku said, coughing into his arm.

"i had dinner with his family." he typed in riku's password on the device, clicking on some games he had.

the brunette grabbed the chai latte and took the cap off of it, taking a sip from it. "oh, really. how was that?"

"it was.. good. his mom's kind and he has a nice sister." the blonde thought back to the moment in nagamine's room, when they only stared at each other. the fluttery feeling in his chest, and the moment of realization that hit him.

riku looked at him a skeptical expression, "anything else?"

kuze sunk down in the chair, feeling a bit flustered. "i hate having a crush." he turned to face the brunette.

a wide smile grew on riku's lips and his soft giggles filled the air, "i told you so."

"what am i supposed to do to make him like me?" the blonde spun in circles, trying to distract himself.

"just keep going the way you are now. he's bound to feel _something._ " he looked at the blonde, a proud look on his face. "it just takes time, shin. you're a great person. don't forget it."

"i feel like you're trying to make me cry." kuze laughed, propping his elbow on the arm rest, holding his chin. "but you know i'm impatient sometimes."

riku nodded slowly, taking another sip from his drink, "all you can do is hope for the best then. you've always got me here too."

"look at you being all good to me." the blonde rolled his eyes playfully. "but, have you found interest in any girls?"

"hey, i'm just doing my job as your friend." riku said, a slight pout on the brunette's face. "to answer your question though, no. romance really isn't what i'm looking for right now."

kuze hummed in response, nodding. a long silence passed and the blonde looked up. "thank you for being here."

"what would you do without me, am i right?" riku laughed, before having another coughing fit.

"stop talking, rest up." kuze shook his head, smiling at his best friend with adoration.

the brunette gave him a thumbs up, before slipping under his covers again, "see you."

the blonde waited, just until he could see the rising in riku's breath. he got up, throwing his drink away before leaving the house. he now had a new problem occur to him, and it was his feelings for nagamine.

it was a dangerous subject to kuze. he didn't want to be obvious, or do anything stupid. the blonde sucked in a breath, thinking back to riku's advice. 

_just keep going the way you are now._

kuze shook his head, slipping back inside his house and into his room. 

he sat down on his bed, chin between his fingers. nagamine’s words from yesterday rang loudly in his ears: _you’re baseline interesting._

“..keep going the way i am, huh?”


	14. thirteen.

the blonde tugged his hand through his wet hair, walking down the stairs. a faint sound could be heard from the living room, and kuze wondered if his mom was home. sure enough, she was, sitting there like yesterday, in her own world.

"you're not working today?" kuze walked around the couch, picking up an orange that was on the table.

"i work tomorrow." a pause followed her sentence. "could i meet your friend today?"

kuze blinked, peeling the fruit in the process. "possibly, but i'd have to ask."

he turned to head to the kitchen, throwing away the orange peels. the blonde took out his phone, scrolling until he found nagamine's contact. the boy opened up a new message, typing a few things _._

_hey, kuze here!_ _you're probably at work, but my mom said she wanted to meet you, like i mentioned yesterday. is that alright with you? i can come get you whenever you're off if you're working._

a few minutes passed before he received a reply.

_sure. i get off at 2. wait for me at the back door._

kuze responded with a simple 'okay', putting his phone back in his pocket. he walked back to the living room, eating an orange slice. "he gets off at two."

"he works?" etsu turned off the television. "where?"

"the café." kuze mumbled, finishing off the orange.

his mother got up. "you should find some sort of job, too." she patted his shoulder, heading over to her office.

the blonde shrugged, not having the energy to say anything. he checked the time, heading back up to his room to play games, passing time.

hours passed, and kuze lost track of time. it was already 2:15. "crap, crap-" he took out his phone, no new notifications. of course nagamine wouldn't text him about it either.

he left his room and rushed out of the house, practically sprinting to the café. he turned the corner, and headed towards the back of the store. the blonde stood at the white door, bent over, trying to catch his breath.

the door slowly opened and nagamine walked out, hand on the back of his neck, "took you long enough."

"yeah - my apologies." kuze waved his hand, keeping his head low as he breathed. "holy shit, i haven't ran like that in a while." he looked up, chuckling to the black-haired male. 

nagamine snickered, as he unbuttoned the first button on his shirt, "do you mind if we head to my house first? i'm all sweat and grime right now, so i'd like to freshen up a bit."

kuze darted his eyes, walking behind the shorter male. "yeah, totally fine."

"so, does your mom not have work today?" nagamine leaned his head back, letting the breeze cool him off.

"apparently not, i thought she did." kuze stuck his hands in the white hoodie he was wearing. "her job schedule has been changing i guess."

"i see," nagamine kept his gaze on the clouds above, white and puffy, like the blonde's hoodie. 

they walked in silence for a few moments, before kuze asked, "how was work?"

"fine. a couple of customers came in before you got there, so i guess you being late didn't really matter," the black-haired male looked back at kuze.

"thanks for reminding me." sarcasm coated kuze's tongue, who turned the corner, stopping before nagamine's house. "i'll wait out here."

"okay," nagamine headed inside his house, disappearing behind the wooden-framed door.

the blonde texted his mom, telling her that he would be home in about fifteen minutes. it was a bit nerve racking, but kuze told himself not to think about it. he paced back and forth, waiting for the black-haired male.

after a few minutes, the door slid open again, and nagamine walked out. he wore a short sleeved, denim, two pocket shirt with black jeans. nagamine's allure never failed to leave kuze speechless. "ready?" nagamine asked, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

the blonde nodded, not daring to say a word. it'd be embarrassing if he stuttered. kuze started leading the way back to his house.

nagamine walked next to kuze, glancing at the taller male suspiciously. _he seems off._

"are you nervous, or is it just me?" he joked, checking his phone as he received a message from his mother.

a slow look of realization appeared on the black-haired male's face, "what are you nervous about?"

"i don't have the best relationship with my mom, so it's kind of weird that she wants to meet a friend of mine." the blonde looked at nagamine. "guess you're that special friend." and he truly was.

were he and kuze friends? he hadn't wanted to say it. not to himself, and definitely not kuze. but maybe in his heart, he had already accepted it for what it was. "...ah, really." nagamine's mind wasn't working, and he didn't know how to formulate a proper response.

"yeah, i've only ever brought riku home with me." the blonde turned, walking backwards in front of the male. "unless i've snuck people in, which i have not."

"you seem like you would have though," nagamine's joyful laughter reverberated in kuze's ears.

"do you see me as a playboy?" kuze frowned, thinking over the thought in his head.

the dark-haired boy exhaled sharply, "i see you as nothing. just kuze." his eyes followed the cracks in the brick walls surrounding them, "you have seen the way girls swoon over you though, right?"

"i mean, i'm not quite interested in them." kuze shrugged. _just kuze.._

"good enough." nagamine looked at the other, "so, are we close yet?"

kuze turned around, jogging up to his door. "impatient, huh?" he unlocked the door, taking off his shoes. "mom, i'm home!"

nagamine took off his own shoes, leaving them by the door and walked inside.

etsu peeked out the corner from the kitchen. "welcome home, shinjiro." she dried her hands on a towel before making her way over to the boys. "hello. i'm shinjiro's mom, kuze etsu, but you can call me etsu. what's your name?"

nagamine gave her a small bow, "nagamine. nice to meet you, etsu-san."

kuze's mother gave a warm smile, a smile that kuze had gained from her. "are you the same age as shinjiro?"

the black-haired male gave a nervous look to the taller male, "...i believe so."

kuze looked off to the side, realizing that nagamine had never asked for his birthday. "he's older than me by 7 months."

etsu nodded, folding her hands in front of her. "do you have any preference when it comes to eating?" kuze raised his eyebrows in surprise, slipping past his mother towards the living room.

“no, not really,” nagamine twiddled his fingers at his sides.

kuze's mom nodded, watching as kuze went upstairs. "shin's probably going up to his room. make yourself at home." she turned to head inside her office, like always.

nagamine was puzzled; he didn't know what to do. the only option was to shut up and follow kuze, right? so he did.

the sixteen year old followed the blonde up the stairs, and assumingly, to his room. kuze opened his door, popping his head out. "sorry for leaving you out there." the blonde was quite uneasy with his mother's façade.

"it's no matter," the black-haired male peered into his room through the crack in the door. "can i.. come in?"

kuze opened the door wider, shutting it softly when nagamine stepped in. nagamine looked around, staring at the posters hanging on his wall. there were pictures of the blonde on his desk, some recent, and some when he was little.

"you were cute as a child," nagamine said, while looking at one of his childhood photos.

"huh?" kuze swiftly turned around, getting slightly flustered. "i was alright."

" _sure,_ you were," nagamine rolled his eyes. "mind if i take a seat?" he walked over to his bed.

"do whatever you'd like, i don't mind." kuze replied, taking a look at his younger self. "eh, riku looked better than i did."

nagamine quirked an eyebrow, "huh. interesting."

kuze looked back at nagamine, "don't listen to my mom if she says embarrassing stories." he remembered when he was in his first year of junior high, when everything was still well. his mother used to love socializing with friends.

"what do you mean, embarrassing stories are nice," the black-haired male took a seat on kuze's bed.

"nuh uh, not mine!" the blonde took a seat in his chair, sitting across from nagamine.

"tell me one then, i'll be the judge." a playful smirk grew on the black-haired male's face.

"i don't have a choice, do i?" kuze leaned back in his chair, trying to think of a story. "uhh, when i was ten or something, i didn't believe that light bulbs were hot. you can put two and two together, right?"

nagamine stretched his arms above his head, "..good enough." he made eye contact with the blonde, once again, "so, you seemed tense back there. is something up?"

kuze shrugged. "like i said before, not the best relationship with my mother." he stared at the ground. "she hasn't cooked a meal in forever, not a full one at least."

_noted._ "do you have any family members who you’re close with?" go big or go home, nagamine thought.

"just my mom, unless you count riku." kuze looked up at the older male. "he's my best friend, since early junior high."

”that must be nice.” a graduation picture with the two of them on kuze’s desk caught nagamine’s eye, but it wasn’t worth bringing up.

"are you close with your sister?" kuze crossed a leg over his knee, bouncing it up and down.

nagamine's gaze softened, "yeah. i am."

kuze leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling. "so.. have you found anybody you like?"

"if you mean romantically," the black-haired male stared at kuze for a moment. "...no. not right now, at least."

kuze nodded. "i see. are you waiting until after high school?" he gave an airy laugh.

"i guess you could say that. what about you?" there was a part of nagamine who was interested, but he tried not to let it show too much.

"i suppose you could say that i have my eyes on somebody." kuze looked at the black-haired male. "but i don't think they're interested." he was careful with his words.

nagamine tilted his head a bit, finding this information appealing, "oh, really. who?"

the blonde sucked in a breath, licking his dry lips. "hm, they're just a classmate. i'm not really close with them?" kuze shrugged, trying to be as subtle as possible.

nagamine took a moment to think. _classmate?_ honestly, he couldn't remember most of the names of their classmates. "i see."

"i don't think i'll make a move on them any time soon." kuze stared out the window, watching a group of birds fly by.

"really? you don't seem like the type to sit by and watch," nagamine said, as kept his eyes on the blonde.

"i usually don't, but i'm a bit cautious this time."

the boys stayed in silence for the rest of the time, occasional questions being flung at each other. kuze's mom soon came up, calling them down to eat. as much as kuze wanted to refuse, he accepted.

the dinner went well, etsu mostly asking nagamine about his family. the blonde didn't say much the whole meal.

when it was time for nagamine to go home, kuze stood by the door, waiting until the black-haired male was out of sight. he kind of already missed his company, but he shrugged it off, knowing that he would see him again tomorrow at school. 

as kuze closed the door and turned around, he was met by etsu's gaze. "so, did you enjoy that?"

"yeah." he gazed back, searching for something in his mother's eyes. "thank you."

"i'll try my best to change.." etsu glanced at a photo of them in the living room. "for you. i'm sorry for treating you so wrong."

"yeah. you notice now?" kuze sighed, letting a small smile break on his face. "just no more ignoring, please."

"of course."


	15. fourteen.

a few days after that dinner, reina had to leave. of course, she didn't leave without exchanging numbers with kuze, like the wonderful older sister she is.

weeks had passed and it was now, the morning of may 20, the day before nagamine's birthday.

nagamine slipped his jacket on and grabbed his bag off of his chair, heading downstairs. he swiped his lunch from the kitchen counter and placed it in his bag. 

"hey, hotaru. what do you want to do for your birthday?" nagamine heard his mom's voice from behind, as he put on his shoes. "nothing. it's not even that big of a deal."

airi sighed, "you say that every year." nagamine opened the door and stepped out, looking at his mom, "cause i'm being honest." he gave her a small wave, "i'm heading out," and closed the door.

the middle-aged woman let out another sigh, shaking her head,

"what am i going to do with you?"

kuze closed the door, jogging slightly for the first few seconds he was outside. he looked up at the sky, clear blue reflecting against his hazel eyes. it was a good, and so was his mood.

the blonde checked his phone, a reminder popping up. 'nagamine's birthday,' it read. _oooh..._ kuze shoved his phone back inside his pocket, speedwalking to school.

he navigated his way through students, spotting the gym. he could hear basketballs being bounced against the floor, baskets swishing and people yelling. he slid off his backpack, taking off his shoes and switching them.

daisuke, the basketball captain spotted the blonde. "kuze, perfect timing! we just needed one more person for five on five."

"yeah, yeah, on my way!"

the black-haired male walked up to his locker and opened it. he looked around for a moment, maybe looking for a certain blonde; it was a habit now. he placed his bag into his locker and grabbed his locker, closing the door with his elbow. he headed up the stairs and to his classroom. nagamine quietly sat down at his seat and took out a book. there was about fifteen minutes before school starts. _what other way to pass the time,_ he thought.

a certain brunette popped in the classroom, looking around for kuze. to his disappointment, there was no sight of him. riku looked up, spotting nagamine, the classmate that kuze always talked about.

he walked up to him, tapping his desk. "hey."

"oh. hi," nagamine said flatly; he wasn't interested in kuze's friend, but he had no choice other than to respond.

"you seen shin anywhere?"

"no." the black-haired male said, as he flipped the page of his book.

"oh." a groan escaped riku's lips. "shoot, forgot he was probably at basketball."

nagamine looked up at the brunette, "tell him to get to class or he'll be late."

riku laughed. "nah, i'll let him be late." he started to walk out the room, not long until he paused. "happy early birthday by the way." and he left.

nagamine's eyebrows furrowed, as he watched riku leave. _that loud mouth._

a few minutes passed, loud laughter being heard from the halls. the black-haired male perked up, watching as kuze walked in, a smile on his face like always. beads of sweat clung to the sides of his face, a red tint dusting his cheeks. wrinkles in his shirt became more apparent; long story short, kuze looked like he went from hell and back. 

a few girls in the back giggled, slapping each other on the arm lightly. nagamine found himself rolling his eyes, closing up his book and putting it away to pay attention. kuze took a seat.

the bell rang soon after, and class started. the morning classes were such a bore, like always. nagamine found himself looking out the window, once again, at the trees who's branches no longer carried pink petals. 

it was lunch time now, and nagamine left the classroom to get his lunch. kuze was on his trail, but he passed the black-haired male to get to the cafeteria. riku soon joined him, the both of them whispering.

"what are you going to get him?" the brunette asked, small smirk on his face.

"i'm trying to think." kuze replied, inserting money inside the vending machine. as he pressed the green tea, a faint memory appeared of him giving nagamine the same gift. maybe he could make a box of gifts.

riku gave the other a pat on the shoulder, "when you get married, invite me to the wedding."

"oi, i'm not even sure if he likes me yet!" the duo got in line, buying their sandwiches. kuze looked at the jelly that was on sale, another item that he popped into his mind.

riku rolled his eyes and grabbed his sandwich, "whatever you say, shin."

"what, you think he likes me?" the blonde unwrapped his lunch, heading to the bleachers.

the brunette sat down, taking a bite out of his lunch, "you should've seen how closed-off he was when i talked to him earlier. guy's not interested in anyone, but you."

"you talked to him?" kuze furrowed his eyebrows, taking a slow bite out of his food.

"briefly, yeah." riku kicked his feet at the dirt below.

"about?"

"just asking where you were," the brunette took another bite of his sandwich.

"oh, basketball. did you not have soccer?" kuze took a sip out of his drink.

"starts next week." riku responded. "do you want me to accompany while you buy your lover some gifts?"

"if you don't shut up, no."

riku chuckled, "you know you love it though."

"yeah. yeah, i do."

lunch was soon over, and dismissal too. kuze packed up his things, heading to his locker. nagamine grabbed his materials and walked to his locker, too. he opened the door and stuffed his books into his bag. he flung the bag strap onto his shoulder and closed his locker, walking to his club's room.

kuze jogged to the gym, getting ready for his club practice. 

the black-haired male slid open the door and walked in, three other people were already sitting at the table, one of which, was the newspaper committee's president — setoguchi mira. she was a third year, punctual, uptight, respected, and everything in between. as president, she worked as the faculty advisor and also handled the newspaper's advertising. the other two people were higashi leo, a first year, and yoshino kyousuke, a second year. higashi worked as the publisher and also as a photo reporter, while yoshino was an editor.

"nagamine. have you seen yayoi and kanzaki? seki too." setoguchi asked, in a stern tone. watanabe yayoi, she was setoguchi's best friend and a third year, as well. she was the photo and art director. kanzaki shota was a second year and one of the main reporters and writers, alongside nagamine. seki tatsuo was also a third year; he worked as the vice-president, production manager and an editor.

nagamine pulled one of the chairs out from under the table and took a seat, placing his bag on the floor, "i haven't." an audible grumble came from setoguchi, but she tried to stay composed. "well, i'll deal with them later."

she made eye contact with the three of them, "there's not much that i have to say. just find something good to write about. our latest articles have been bare, as of late." she slammed her hand down on the table, "i want to see effort. _do you hear me?"_

the three boys remained silent, only nodding their heads. "good," she stood up from her chair abruptly, grabbing her bag. "that's all for today," she said, before leaving the room.

when the coast was clear and setoguchi was really gone, a long sigh escaped the three's mouths.

"god, i thought she was gonna kill us. where's watanabe senpai when you need her?" yoshino leaned back into his seat. 

higashi rested his head on his hand, "setoguchi senpai really laid it on thick, the stuff about our latest work and all that."

"she's right, though." nagamine said, bag back on his shoulder.

"i know she is! but what can we do about it? it's the beginning of the year, nothing's gonna be happening," yoshino huffed.

nagamine got up from his chair, "i thought that too. anyways," he headed towards the door. "if that's all, i'm leaving."

"ah, nagamine senpai. it's your birthday tomorrow, right?" higashi said, enthusiastically. 

"yeah," the black-haired male kept his gaze on the floor.

"since we won't be meeting tomorrow, happy birthday in advance," higashi gave the older male a kind smile. "oh yeah. happy early birthday, nagamine," yoshino said, as well.

nagamine looked back at the two, "thanks." he walked out of the room, turned the corner, and headed out of the building.

"daisuke-san!" kuze yelled as the captain passed the ball to him. the blonde dribbled to the right, pivoting and passing it towards eiji. kuze was immediately blocked by another player, who elbowed him in the stomach. "oi, takahashi, watch it!." the blonde hissed, pushing his arm away.

"i'm not doing anything to you." takahashi responded, getting closer to defend than allowed. 

"hey, rules says at least an arm space away!" kuze whispered yelled, shoving the first year's arm away.

"hey, foul!" takahashi yelled, cuddling his arm to his chest.

the other players stopped at the abrupt noise, watching the two with close eyes. eiji walked up to takahashi, speaking to him in a low blow.

"what's the problem?" their captain jogged up to takahashi, disregarding kuze for a moment.

"he grabbed onto me and pushed me!" takahashi glared at the second year, who was taken aback.

"what? quit lying and tell the truth!" kuze retorted, stepping closer to the shorter male.

takahashi whimpered, backing away as eiji sighed. daisuke grabbed onto kuze's shoulder, pushing him back. "i believe you, shin, but for the sake of everything."

the blonde scoffed turning on his heels. "bullshit." he went to his bag, drowning the water from his bottle.

"okay, change of positions you guys!" daisuke gathered the boys, sending a sharp look to both kuze and takahashi.

nagamine walked by the gym. he decided to walk closer, see the sights a little. he headed over to the gym entrance and peered inside. he spotted kuze and two other people who he didn’t know. there was also sasaki eiji. nagamine had been in the same class as sasaki last year, but they didn’t talk.

"kuze, shooting guard. takahashi, power forward. sasaki, small forward. kimura, center. i'll play point guard. got it?" daisuke arranged positions, the boys nodding as he listed them off. they all got into position, waiting for the other team.

yoshida, the vice captain was assigning positions to the other players. kuze looked around, analyzing how the game play would go. he spotted somebody peeking at the door, eyes widening when he realized it was nagamine. the blonde waved, giving a small smile as he tugged the top of his shirt across his forehead.

nagamine turned away, his back against the wall of the gym. “that was..” a warm sensation welcomed itself on nagamine’s face, “...dangerous.” _i better go._

he pushed himself off of the wall and walked away from the gym. as nagamine walked, his grip on his bag strap tightened. the image of kuze’s sweaty figure was imprinted into his brain and he hated it. 

_stupid kuze._

an hour had passed, and kuze pressed the towel against his neck. he waved goodbye to daisuke and eiji, jogging out the building. the cool air on his skin felt nice, refreshing his body just a bit. the blonde walked to the store, searching the freezers.

he opened the plastic door and grabbed a green and milk tea. he walked over by the racks and grabbed a couple of jelly cups. kuze walked over to the counter and set his things down.

"just these?" it was the nice, older lady that ran the store, okabe kiyoko, or 'kiyo-baa' as the people in this neighborhood called her.'

the blonde nodded, and kiyoko proceeded to check out his items. she looked at him, as he placed the jellies into the bag, along with the drinks that were already there. "for a younger sibling or friend, maybe?"

"a friend, his birthday's tomorrow." he smiled.

"ah, how lovely." she placed the bag in front of him, "390 yen is your total."

kuze placed the exact amount in the tray, waving to the kind lady. "see you, kiyo-baa!"

she waved back, her eyes crinkling into a smile, "take care."

the blonde walked silently down the path, heading home. he felt as if he needed to give nagamine more, but he wasn't sure. kuze looked to his left, stopping to see his reflection in a book store. books, that's exactly what nagamine likes.

kuze walked inside, the smell of fresh books filling his scent. calm music played in the background, creating a peaceful vibe. the blonde racked up some memories in his brain, remembering that nagamine was reading a book by an author, yumesaki kentaro.

he went to that section, admiring all the books stacked on shelves. hard covers, paper backs, they were all here. kuze picked up a book, blowing off some light dust that was on it. the title read _floriography._

kuze grabbed another, _time and time,_ then another, _stolen_. he placed back _floriography*_ , deciding that it was boring from the cover. he skimmed the back of _time and time_ , then moved on to _stolen._

the boy placed back _time and time,_ hoping that nagamine hadn't read _stolen_ yet. kuze scratched his head, walking up to the cashier there.

"are you ready to check out?" the cashier was a, seemingly, middle-aged man, with hair pulled back into a small ponytail.

”all ready.” kuze mused, setting the book down gently.

the cashier scanned the book over and placed it back down, "that'll be 800 yen."

the blonde placed the money in the tray, grabbing the book and thanking the worker before he walked out. he placed it inside the bag of the items he bought at the store and headed home. 

when he got home, he shut the door quietly and took off his shoes. his mom was in the kitchen, like always, doing something on her own. etsu heard the shuffling of a bag and peeked out.

”what did you buy?” his mother asked.

“just stuff for nagamine’s birthday.” he replied, setting them down on the kitchen table. “do you, um, by any chance, have some sort of box?”

for the last few weeks, kuze’s relationship with his mom had improved. there were still some times when it went downhill, but overall, kuze enjoyed it a lot better than the silence of his loneliness. he just hoped that this would stay stable and maintain itself.

”hmm..” etsu walked inside her office, looking through the boxes that were stored there. she walked back out with a small pale blue box. “good enough?”

”good enough.” he repeated, taking it in his hands. "thank you."

etsu gave him a smile, "of course."

kuze headed to his room and sat on his bed, with the box and items next to him. he placed the book, green tea, and jellies inside of the box. he closed it and looked down at it, taking a deep breath,

"i just hope he likes it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> footnote:  
> * a reference to one of my works, interest.
> 
> -yokohbadboy


	16. fifteen.

kuze put the box gently in his bag, slipping a note inside. he slipped another piece of paper in his pocket, putting his bag on his shoulder. his mother was sleeping still, so he left a short letter before heading out.

it was a warm day, cool winds contradicting the temperature. he looked at the trees that he passed, staring at the bare branches. the blonde could still see small pink petals amongst the grass, but only a few.

the school came in view, kuze feeling excited, and nervous. his hand went to his slacks, fingers feeling the paper in his pocket.

"kuze-kun!" a girl with long, flowy, chocolate-brown hair came up to him.

"ah, mihara-san," _not again,_ he thought. 

mihara clasped her hands behind her back, "hey, hey, kuze-kun. would you be interested in going to the café with me after school?" mihara kurenai, a second year, and one of kuze's 'fangirls'.

"ah, i actually have something to do after school today. maybe another time?" he gave her a small smile, one that was fake.

she pouted, "you always say that.."

"i know, but i really do have something today." kuze glanced toward the school, wondering if nagamine had already went to class.

mihara followed his gaze, "fine." she turned around reluctantly, "see you later, kuze-kun." she headed inside the building, disappointed.

kuze scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly bad. he headed inside the building, making his way to the lockers. the blonde searched for a certain black-haired male.

nagamine was nowhere to be found, so kuze assumed he must've headed to class already. he walked over to nagamine's locker, who's number he oddly seemed to remember, and slipped the piece of paper that he had, inside. then he went to his own locker, storing away his bag. he made his way to class, glancing at nagamine who was already at his seat. the blonde sat down, having the urge to tap his pencil on his desk.

kuze noticed nagamine was reading _floriography_ by yumesaki kentaro. he gave a sigh of relief, at least he didn't buy that one. nagamine noticed the blonde and quirked an eyebrow, giving him a 'why are you looking at me' type of expression.

kuze smiled in response, giving a small wave.

the black-haired male shook his head and turned his attention back on his book. a few minutes after, the bell rang and class started. itou sensei walked in and the day started like normal. every passing minute, kuze couldn't stop thinking about the note he left in nagamine's locker. it was just a meet up, he didn't know why he was so nervous. by the time he had calmed his nerves, it was time for lunch.

as usual, nagamine left the classroom and headed to his locker. when he opened it, a small piece of paper fell out. he picked it up and stared at it with a puzzled expression.

it read: _hey, meet me behind the gym, under the tree, after school. :) - 久世_

nagamine furrowed his eyebrows, staring at kuze's scrawled handwriting. he looked up, watching as kuze hurried down the stairs, bumping into a girl.

"ow-" the girl made eye contact with the blonde. "kuze-kun? ah, ah.. i'm so sorry. are you okay?" it was mihara again.

_here we go again,_ kuze thought. the blonde shook his head. "don't be sorry. i'm okay, are you?"

"i'm fine," she twiddled her thumbs in front of her. "um, would you.. would you like to have lunch with me?"

kuze gazed to the side, meeting eyes with nagamine. the blonde looked back at the girl. "sure, this once."

the black-haired male walked past kuze, eyeing him and mihara. nagamine headed to his classroom and sat back down at his desk.

"ah, i have to buy lunch real quick though. can you wait?" kuze got out the money that was in his other pocket.

"yeah, sure. i'll be waiting on the roof," mihara said, as she walked up the stairs.

_the roof.._

kuze nodded, heading inside the cafeteria. he waved to riku who was in line, walking over to the vending machine to get a drink. the usual green tea and onigiri, and he was all set to go. the blonde walked up the stairs, finding his way to the roof.

mihara was setting on a bench along the wall, her bento box on her lap. "ah, kuze-kun! over here."

kuze waved, making his way over to the girl. he sat down next to mihara, glancing at her lunch out of curiosity. inari sushi, some plain, and some with toppings. 

"so, how's basketball practice been?" she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite out of one of her inari sushi.

"it's been good, nothing too exciting lately." kuze unwrapped his onigiri, taking a bite out of it. "uhm, what club were you in again?"

"oh, i'm in the cooking club."

"how's it been?" kuze didn't actually have much interest in cooking, but he decided to be polite.

mihara took another bite of her sushi, "it's fun. i enjoy it, though it gets complicated at times."

"how so?" kuze uncapped his drink, listening to the girl.

"just the procedures and techniques. sensei's pretty hard on us about small details," she said, kicking her feet.

"i'm sure you're top of the club." kuze said, finishing his lunch.

she laughed nervously, "sure." mihara looked at the blonde, "say, i've seen you with nagamine-kun a lot lately. are you two close?"

"hmm, i wouldn't say close, but we're friends." he decided not to tell her about it being his birthday, or the fact that he had cancelled her offer in the morning to hang with him.

"what a surprise," she mumbled, as she ate.

"why?" he looked at her, a confused look on his face.

she looked up at the sky, it was clear and bright blue, "no, it's just.. back in junior high and elementary school, he never really seemed to talk with anyone."

"oh? you knew him back then?"

"we were in the same class here and there, throughout those years. not like we spoke, though." mihara opened the water bottle that she had next to her, and took a sip.

kuze hummed, tapping his chin. "i don't think he has changed that much then."

she let out a giggle, her gaze far away, "yeah, i suppose."

the two talked for a bit more, kuze learning a bit more about nagamine. the blonde decided that mihara wasn't so bad, but she definitely did annoy him sometimes. and it was soon the end of the day, kuze gathering his stuff from his locker.

nagamine grabbed his bag from his locker and closed the door, spotting the blonde. the black-haired male watched as someone else clapped him on the back, leading kuze out the school.

nagamine walked out of the school and to the tree behind the gym, like kuze had asked him to. the blonde had club activities, so it would be a while before he’d come out. nagamine sat down, back against the tree and _floriography_ in hand.

an hour had passed before nagamine could hear footsteps approaching him. he looked up, seeing kuze. a towel was wrapped around his shoulders, hair a little damp. nagamine’s eyes widened a bit at the view, as he stood up, “so, what did you call me here for?”

"oh." the blonde reach into his bag, pulling out the small box. he handed it to the black-haired male. "happy birthday, nagamine."

nagamine took the box in his hands. his eyes darted from the box then to kuze, “..huh?” 

kuze gave a small smile, letting his hand fall back to his side.

nagamine’s face grew warmer as he slowly realized.

. _..he’s giving me a birthday present?_

a hand went up to his face, attempting to cover up his look of embarrassment. “..do you mind if i open it now?”

"feel free." kuze watched him, nervousness in his system.

nagamine took the top off of the box, revealing its contents. “a green tea, jellies,” he laughed, “and _stolen.”_ he placed the box on the ground, taking the book out, his eyes glued to the cover. “i’ve been meaning to get this for a while,” he looked up at the blonde and his lips curled into a gentle smile. “thank you, kuze.”

a sigh of relief came out of kuze. "i was afraid that i got you a double."

”even so, that would be nice too,” nagamine placed the book back into the box and closed it.

"you doing anything with your family?" the blonde dried his face before putting the towel back in his bag.

nagamine wore his bag on his shoulder, “not really. my mom always asks me if i want to do something special, but it’s not a big deal to me.”

kuze let out an airy laugh. "you should go out for dinner with her or something."

"maybe when it's her birthday," nagamine zipped open his bag and placed the box inside, then closed it back up.

”let’s walk home together.” kuze suggested, heaving his bag upright on his shoulder.

nagamine gave the blonde a side eye, "fine."

kuze let out a cheeky smile, walking around the school. "say, did you know a mihara?"

nagamine followed closely behind him, "..ah, kurenai?"

"yeah, she talked about you today." the blonde walked off school property, turning a corner.

"nothing good, probably," nagamine muttered under his breath.

"hm?" kuze stopped in his path, tilting his head back. "all she said was that you were kind of quiet."

the black-haired male pursed his lips, walking past kuze, "..okay."

kuze walked behind nagamine, staying quiet for a good minute. he didn't know what to do, but decided to ask something. "did something happen?"

"no. it's nothing." nagamine placed his hands in his pocket, fingers gripping at the linen.

"if you say so." kuze decided not to push the topic anymore. they arrived at nagamine's house soon after, the blonde waving. "happy birthday again!"

the black-haired male gave a small nod in response and headed inside his house, leaving his shoes at the door. "i'm back."

"welcome home, hotaru," as usual, airi was in the kitchen, preparing for dinner.

nagamine walked past the counter, "are you making mapo tofu?"

"of course. it's your birthday and i know you like it," she said, while cutting some garlic and ginger.

the, now, seventeen year old headed towards the stairs. "ah, i forgot to tell you something this morning since you left so quickly," airi said suddenly.

"hm?" he turned around. 

"happy birthday." she wore a content smile on her face, one filled with motherly love.

he rubbed the back of his neck, "thanks, mom." and with that, nagamine headed up to his room.

he threw his bag on his chair and laid on his bed, eyes staring at the skylight.

_"say, did you know a mihara?"_

memories from forever felt so close once again. it was uncomfortable and suffocating. it didn't used to bother him, so why now?

he took a deep breath and sat up. 

not today.

not on his birthday.


End file.
